In the processing of poultry, particularly chickens, the industry has had to deal with problems concerning bacterial contamination of the processed birds. During the process of dressing poultry, the birds are susceptible to contamination, self-inflicted and cross-contamination by the handling of the mass of birds in a typical day. The bacteria tend to cling to and grow on the exposed surfaces of the birds, including in the feather follicles. The problem has the potential of intensifying at the stage where the birds are being chilled in a liquid chiller, where the birds are chilled from approximately normal body temperature down to the mid thirty degrees Fahrenheit.
Some of the common pathogenic bacteria found in poultry are salmonella, herpes, e. coli, and others. While antiseptic additives may be included in the liquid of the chiller for a significant reduction of the bacteria, there is a hazard that bacteria may be passed with the birds on to the market place where the dressed products are distributed to the public. Fortunately, poultry products typically are cooked thoroughly and the bacteria are eradicated during the cooking process. However, there still is a hazard of the bacteria may be passed on to the public.
While the addition of antibacterial substances to the liquid in the chiller have had success in reducing the surface bacteria on poultry carcasses, most procedures are not successful in removing all pathogenic bacteria from the contaminated carcasses. For example, it is more difficult to vigorously apply the liquid and its antibacterial contents to the cavities of the birds and to the feather follicles of the birds and these areas of the birds might retain more bacteria than other portions of the birds.
As disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication US 2006/0225439 A1, water jets may be directed into the chiller tank at locations where birds have accumulated and the streams of water bear antibacterial additives that more vigorously “wash” the birds. However, if the water jets are not used or do not properly contact the birds, the contamination of the birds may not be fully reduced by the washing action from the water jets.
Because of the need to reduce the temperature of the birds while in the chiller tank, the birds require a long dwell time in the chilled liquid. Because of the long dwell time the concentration of the antibacterial substances in the liquid cannot be very high so as to avoid damaging the surfaces of the birds.
Efforts have been made to reduce the bacteria count in poultry products after the products leave the chiller. For example, there are post chill decontamination tanks that are positioned behind the chiller and the birds are dropped into the tank for treatment of its liquid. The birds are retained in this tank for a short dwell time and the liquid would include an increased concentration of decontamination substances.
Once the birds have been dropped into the prior art decontamination tank, a conveyor belt brings the birds up on a sloped incline, from the bottom of the tank up to and over the exit end of the tank and deposits the birds on a continuing conveyance to the next processing station. While this process has met with some success, the equipment requires a large footprint and there may be a lack of consistency of dwelling time of the birds in the decontamination tank, where some birds are advanced on time while other birds have longer dwell times that are unnecessary and which may impede the dwell time of a later bird. Also, there is some lack of vigorous physical contact of the decontamination fluids with the cavities of the birds and with the feather follicles of the birds where the concentration of bacteria is more prevalent.
It is to these problems that this invention is directed.